The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems used in transaction establishments, and more specifically to a device and method for locating EPLs in a transaction establishment.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for each merchandise item in a store. EPLs typically display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A store may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from the PLU file.
EPLs today may be wired or wireless. Wireless EPLs may employ infrared or radio frequency transmitters to transmit acknowledgment signals acknowledging receipt of messages and to relay acknowledgment signals from other EPLs to receiving devices coupled to a main EPL computer. An EPL only sends an acknowledgment if the message is addressed to it.
Over time, EPLs may be displaced from their mounting brackets. A customer or store employee may intentionally or unintentionally remove an EPL. In any case, the store must locate and reinstall the displaced EPLS, or determine that they are not in the store and replace them.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a device and method for locating EPLs in a transaction establishment.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a device and method for locating EPLs in a transaction establishment is provided.
The locator includes an input device which records identification information distinguishing the electronic price label from other electronic price labels. A receiver receives signals from the electronic price label. Signal, strength and noise level determining circuitry measures signal strengths and noise levels associated with the signals. Processing circuitry determines a direction to the electronic price label. Finally, a display displays the direction. The locator may also be portable and include a hand-held housing.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a device and method for locating EPLs in a transaction establishment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device and method for locating EPLs in a transaction establishment which determine directions to an EPL from signal strengths and noise levels associated with signals from the EPL.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for locating EPLs in a transaction establishment which is portable and hand-held.